Market snapshot
Coca-Cola has once again topped Ireland’s grocery brand league, holding the number one position for a 22nd successive year, according to the 2026 Top 100 Brands ranking compiled by Checkout in partnership with NIQ Ireland. The annual list, based on value sales through mainstream grocery outlets, places Coca-Cola ahead of Lucozade, Tayto, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Monster. The original reporting is available from AdWorld (see the full piece here: https://www.adworld.ie/2026/09/14/coca-cola-holds-top-spot-as-irelands-grocery-brands-adapt-to-health-convenience-shift/). For methodology notes see Checkout (https://checkout.ie) and NIQ Ireland (https://www.niq.com/ie).
Familiarity still pays
The headline is simple: scale, familiarity and entrenched distribution remain powerful assets. As NIQ’s Ruth Lloyd-Evans puts it, the ranking “reinforces the resilience of Ireland’s most established grocery brands.” That resilience is visible across categories: confectionery remains the largest grocery sector, while soft drinks and energy drinks account for three of the top six individual brands.
But beneath that apparent continuity sits a market quietly reshaping itself. Zero- and no-sugar variants are the main engines of growth in carbonated soft drinks, and sport and energy drinks are pivoting toward functionality and reduced sugar. In short, shoppers are not abandoning old favourites; they are asking those favourites to evolve.
Irish brands pushing out of old boundaries
Homegrown names remain prominent. Tayto, Brennans and Avonmore sit in the top ten, while Ballygowan, Deep RiverRock, Brady Family, Kerrygold and Irish Pride all feature strongly further down the list. What is notable is how these brands are using product innovation to reach new occasions and shoppers.
Ballygowan has moved into functional drinks with a domestically produced caffeinated water. Deep RiverRock, owned by Coca-Cola, has launched ViTAL, a vitamin-enhanced water blending juice, botanicals and minerals. Kerrygold, long known for butter, is expanding into a premium cheddar range as part of what the brand describes as an ambitious innovation phase. Smaller Irish manufacturers, including Brady Family and Irish Pride, are reformulating lines and emphasising clean label credentials such as nitrite-free and preservative-free items to meet evolving shopper demands.
These are practical responses. Rather than attempting to turn consumers away from indulgence, many brands are stretching their portfolios into reduced-sugar, smaller-portion or higher-protein formats so they can participate in both indulgent and health-focused purchase occasions.
Premium, functionality and the price consumers will pay
The Checkout research underlines a central commercial truth: consumers will pay more when a product provides a discernible benefit. “Consumers remain willing to pay a premium when products deliver meaningful benefits, such as health, convenience, functionality, quality, or trusted brand credentials,” says Maev Martin, editor of Checkout. That dynamic is visible across snack, dairy and drinks categories, where premium, hand-cooked or functional lines are growing faster than mainstream equivalents.
The scale of commercial interest in health-oriented brands was underlined in August when VITHIT, a functional hydration brand ranked 50th in the Top 100, was acquired by UK-listed Nichols for €75 million. The deal is a reminder that larger food and drink companies are actively consolidating attractive niches rather than building them from scratch.
A warning sign: GLP-1s and structural change
One of the more uncertain but potentially significant variables highlighted in the research is the growing use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs in Ireland. The Checkout/NIQ commentary notes that widespread or oral adoption of these treatments could shift consumption patterns — on portion sizes, snacking frequency and demand for calorie-dense items. The timing and scale of any effect are unclear, but manufacturers and retailers would be prudent to model for a range of scenarios rather than assume business as usual. For background on clinical guidance and uptake see HSE information on weight management and related therapies (https://www.hse.ie).
What this means for manufacturers and retailers
The immediate commercial lesson is straightforward. Brands that combine familiarity with demonstrable product benefits are best placed to prosper. For large incumbents that means investing in meaningful product innovation rather than superficial relabelling. For smaller players, it means sharpening distinctiveness and protecting margin through premium positioning or functional claims.
Policy makers and public health advocates should also take note. The market is already moving in response to consumer demand for lower sugar and added functionality. Heavy-handed interventions that ignore these private-sector responses risk unintended consequences for competition and consumer choice. Conversely, well-targeted incentives for reformulation and clear labelling would accelerate healthier options without wholesale disruption to supply chains.
What to watch next
Expect next year’s ranking to show further premiumisation in cheese and snacks, growing share for functional beverages, and continued fragmentation in coffee, tea and yoghurt categories. The top of the chart will likely remain familiar, but the battleground for growth will be the new formats and consumption occasions that are quietly redrawing the grocery map.
Source: AdWorld reporting on the Checkout/NIQ Ireland Top 100 Brands ranking (https://www.adworld.ie/2026/09/14/coca-cola-holds-top-spot-as-irelands-grocery-brands-adapt-to-health-convenience-shift/).
